School Opening for 2020/21

Student/Parent/Guardian Update 18th September 2020

Please find some updates for staff students and parents after two full weeks of classes. Thank you all for your ongoing work in keeping our school open and learning in these challenging times.

Student illness/absence

Anyone displaying symptoms of Covid-19 should not attend school. Please ensure that you phone the school if a student will be absent. We are relying on parents/guardians to keep us up to date with family siuations involving symptoms, testing, etc. While the HSE will be in contact with us should we have a confirmed case in the school community, the information you provide is very helpful to us and saves teachers/tutors/year heads phoning home about an unexplained absence. In addition teachers want to ensure that students who are staying at home under medical advice can still keep up with their learning and we have a system in place to support this. Should we have a positive case of the virus in our school community, we will follow HSE advice, assist them in their contact tracing and risk assessment process, assist with communication to those directly affected and communicate with general information through text and website with our school community. Patient confidentiality is of the utmost importance and we ask all members of the school community to respect this. There is no blame attached to becoming sick.

Books and Resources and Student Devices

Teachers will advise students what books, copies and resources are essential for class. Students should try or bring these into school but should only pack their bag with what they can comfortably carry. It is NOT ACCEPTABLE for a student to arrive with an empty bag and no books for class. It is NOT APPROPRIATE for a student to be carrying an overweight school bag.
A student can use one A4 academy pad to take notes in class and arrange to tear out and file these notes into a subject folder at home. Students must try to prioritise the subject resources that are most needed each day. Teachers will do their best to advise students on this and will be understanding if a student cannot manage to carry everything needed. However students who regularly present for class without the necessary work done will be followed up in the usual manner.
For the period of time that the Covid-19 restrictions are in place and/or until the Board of Management reverses this decision, from 21st September 2020, students may bring a smartphone or other personal portable device (iPad/laptop) to school for use in class. E-Books can be downloaded onto this device to reduce the number of books that need to be carried to school. Issues with downloading books should be raised with the relevant publisher as this cannot be resolved by the school. Headphones can be used where a student in a satellite room is accessing the teacher’s presentation/voice/TEAMS in the main classroom. The teacher can advise students of the relevant school wifi code to use when needed.
It is vitally important that all students read and comply with the Student Computer and Network Usage Agreement (also know as Acceptable Use Policy) which has been extended to include the use of personal devices. http://lucancc.ie/policy/other-school-policies/it-policies/

Mobile phones and other personal devices seen anywhere in the school grounds other than in a classroom under teacher supervision will be confiscated as explained in our code of behaviour.

If a student is suspected of misusing any technology device in school and breaking the terms of the Acceptable Use Policy, the school will confiscate and seek full access to the device to ascertain the nature of the misuse. In this case a student will no longer be permitted to use technology in school for a set period of time dependent on the seriousness of the misuse.

If a student brings a personal device into school the following procedures apply:

• • device must be fully charged at home before being brought to school
  • all relevant ebooks, apps and programmes for class should be downloaded at home
  • the school will not have the resources to provide technical support for students
  • the school cannot take responsibility for the loss/damage/theft of any device that a student decides to bring to school. We recommend that you arrange appropriate insurance for these devices.

This is a temporary new departure for our school and we will monitor it carefully through feedback from students and teachers. We are trusting students to use this opportunity appropriately to improve their learning and lessen the weight of school bags.

Break time update

We will continue to stagger small break. Senior students (Transition Year, 5th and 6th year) will take their little break at the official time of 10.15am-10.27am in the Memorial garden. All Fifth years should take their break in the Millennium garden at 10.15am-10.27am and 6th years in the H area and basketball courts.

1st and 3rd students will be brought on their break during the class before little break at the times specified and in the area specified and 2nd years during the class after little break. This break should be 10mins long and must be supervised directly by the teacher in charge of the class at that time. Junior students should go to their tutorial/pastoral care classroom at 10.15 (or the nearest social area if there are insufficient seats available for a seated break) and remain there for break time and for their tutorial class. No food or drink should be consumed in the classrooms at this time as student will not be 2m apart.

While we realise that the junior break times are cutting into teaching and learning time we feel that now is not a good time to experiment with having all 900+ students on little break at the same time and we will continue with these arrangements for a while longer.

Lunch time

Students should continue to go home for lunch if possible. This is proving very effective in reducing the number of students seeking socially distanced spaces to eat lunch in classrooms. However we remind students that they are wearing their uniform and representing the school at all times including during lunch break. Some patrons of the supervalu centre have been in touch concerned about our students gathering close together and not wearing masks during break time. Please try to take as much care with your own health and that of others whether in school or outside school and keep socially distanced when not wearing a mask.
Supervalu centre access for senior students only:

• Monday – 6th years
• Tuesday – 5th yeqrs
• Thursday – Transition Year students
• Friday – 6th years

Uniform

We are very impressed with the standard of uniform so far this year. Please remember that the PE uniform should only be worn on days when the student has PE on their timetable. Access to the changing rooms is not allowed. It is lovely to see more female students cycling to school with the choice of trousers or kilts now available for our female students. Unfortunately there are still some non uniform coats being worn. Please correct this before the winter months arrive and coats are needed daily – possibly in classrooms with doors and windows remaining open for ventilation.

Bicycles

Great to see a large number of students cycling to school. Please remember to wear a helmet for your safety, ensure your bike is locked securely to a bicycle rack and walk your bike into and out of the school grounds. The front gate is a dangerous area with pedestrians and cars and it is not safe to cycle in or out of the school. We are purchasing additional bike racks shortly for students. Bikes should be securely locked at the front of the school.

Front Gate Safety

The safety of our school community is paramount. Parents are not allowed to park in or near the school grounds (apart from a few parents with special permission and a school parking permit – these parents should ensure they are entering the grounds at off-peak times). Please remind your son/daughter to use the pedestrian gates at all times.

Thank you for taking the time to read these updates.
Diane Birnie